Waking up, Annabeth noticed something very wrong. She was well rested, and hadn't been wakened at dawn for once. She tried to stand up, but failed, as she found herself tied to a roughly made chair.
"Don't even try, I already have. It took you long enough to wake up, princess. Thought I'd let you sleep in for once. Do you want to know the details of the situation?" Piper spoke, resentment in her voice at wherever they were.
And Annie could understand that, looking around. There was all sorts of things scattered about. Skulls of all types of creatures, pigs, mice, humans, and all manner of weird, misshapen things that must have been other creatures that resided in this forest hung upon the walls. Dirt and other things that should not be explained adorned the floor in messy piles.
"Sure, I don't think I'll like what I hear, though," Annie responded timidly.
"We stumbled into a goblins cave by mistake. They decided, 'hey, what better way to spend some time than to kidnap some people?' So now we're stuck here. They couldn't find anything valuable on us, so they decided eating us would suffice." She explained with false cheeriness.
"We're going to die!" Annabeth sobbed.
"Shh, I hear someone coming," Piper responded, urging the other to be quiet.
Three creepy little creatures walked into the room on squatty feet, making little grunting noises to each other. They were each about three feet tall, with snarly features and greenish brown, leathery skin. Once close enough so that the girls could smell their vile breath, they spoke.
"Our leader says you can choose, death or fight," the largest of the three spoke in a gravelly tone that was barely English at all.
"Fight," Piper spoke with indignation and false confidence.
The goblins then turn to Annabeth with a look on their face that seemed to say that it was her turn to speak.
"I-I'll fight," she stuttered nervously.
All three goblins started hooting with excitement and scurried out of the room.
"We really are going to die!" Annie wailed again.
"No, we won't. Don't you know their weakness?" Piper demanded, keeping a cool head.
"No, why would I? I was locked up in a tower for goodness sake!" She exclaimed, still hopeless.
"They're horribly short, with squatty feet. One strong kick and they go rolling. The disadvantage, usually they come in large groups. I'm not sure how large this particular group is, but let's hope it isn't too big. Then we really are dead." Piper explained, helping her to strategize.
They spent the next few hours talking over what they would do, until finally they were collected by the same three goblins and carted to another cave. This one was round, with a second row that had obviously been put in. Around thirty goblins sat on it, hooting and generally being excited for what was about to take place.
Each girl was handed a small, rough knife and their own bags.
Standing in the middle of the room were four of the nasty little monsters, awaiting the girls. Reaching into her bag, Piper grabbed a measure of rope and a container of salt. Tossing one end of the rope to Annabeth, They circled around the goblins uncertainly. An odd sounding horn was blown, and the goblins rushed at their prey. Before one could sink it's teeth into Annie's leg, a sprinkling of salt was set across it's eyes, and it was blinded. Sinking the end of her knife into it's neck, Annabeth killed the gross thing. The rest of the salt was thrown similarly into the other creature's eyes, and the rope wrapped around their small feet. Dizzy and blind, they now stumbled around swinging their own little knives but not getting anything. Quickly they were finished off by the two girls. A single outraged cry lifted up from all of the goblins at the same time and the girls started running out.
"Come on!" Piper cried as Annie tripped over something in the semi darkness of the half lit cave. They got out and ran as far as they could until the sounds of the goblins cry could no longer be heard.
"And that's what they get for having short, squatty legs," Piper laughed out as they collapsed on a log.
"We're not dead!" Annie exclaimed, happiness showing through her voice.
"And, even better, I can see my kingdom from here. Look!" Piper said, climbing on top of the fallen tree.
Annie climbed up as well, looking at civilization again with a sinking feeling forming in her gut. That would mean she would have to go back to her parents. The adventure would end, and she might even be sent back to that awful castle.
"Oh… That's simply wonderful," Annie said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
"I know!" Piper bubbled, not picking up on her sad friend. "We'll leave in the morn'."
"Alright," Annabeth agreed.
They set up camp near the log, in the middle of the clearing. Sleep didn't arrive as quickly for Annie as it did for Piper.